A known disc player apparatus uses a disc holding mechanism in which the recording disc to be played back is held between a turntable and a disc holder adapted to receive an apertured central portion of the disc. The disc holder is directly connected to the casing structure of the player apparatus. If, therefore, mechanical vibrations are applied to the casing, the vibrations are transmitted to the disc holder and accordingly to the disc per se without being dampened out. This causes serious deterioration of the quality of the signals reproduced by the player apparatus during operation.
Among the known disc player apparatuses of the above described type are an apparatus which further uses an automatic disc loading mechanism for automatically loading the player apparatus with the disc to be played back. A drawback has been encountered in a disc player apparatus of this nature in that a disproportionately large space is required for the accommodation of the movement of the automatic disc loading mechanism into and out of the position in which the disc carried by the mechanism is ready for playback operation.
In a disc player apparatus provided with such an automatic disc loading mechanism, furthermore, the disc is held in position on the disc loading mechanism by applying forces to the disc in radial directions of the disc during transfer of the disc into and out of the position ready for playback operation. If, in this instance, the disc holder is of the spring-loaded type, excessive forces may be applied to the disc held in position by the disc holder because the discs to be put to use usually vary in size from one another due to the difference between the types of the disc or to errors in the fabrication of the discs.
In a prior-art disc player apparatus of the type using an automatic disc loading mechanism, furthermore, an extreme difficulty is encountered for correctly positioning the disc with respect to the spindle of the turntable when the disc is to be moved into the operative position on the turntable.
If the automatic disc loading mechanism is of the type which is adapted to support the disc over the entire surface of the disc, the disc loading mechanism has members and portion which are to protrude out of the casing of the player apparatus when the player apparatus is in operation. These members and portions tend to deteriorate the stability of the total structure and weight of the player apparatus.
A known disc player apparatus using an automatic disc loading mechanism further includes an automatic arm drive device adapted to automatically drive the pickup arm of the player apparatus into and out of the rest position of the arm during lead-in and return motions of the arm. Such an arm drive device is electrically actuated by means of a manually operated switch which is usually mounted on an external panel member attached to the casing of the player apparatus. Thus, two manipulative steps are required to start a playback operation with such a disc player apparatus, consisting of the step to convey the disc to be played back into the player apparatus by means of the above mentioned automatic disc loading mechanism and the subsequent step for pressing the switch for the arm drive device. The switch for the automatic arm drive device is provided independently of the switch for connecting the player apparatus to a power source, requiring provision of two switches for the player apparatus. Provision of such two switches, in turn, requires not only two manipulative steps to press the switches but gives rise to an increase in the production cost of the player apparatus since each of such switches is usually considerably expensive.
On the other hand, it is an ordinary practice for a user of a disc player apparatus to clean the surface of the disc to be played back. Extremely elaborate efforts are, however, necessitated for cleaning recording discs as is well known to users of disc players. In a disc player apparatus of the above described type having an automatic disc loading mechanism furthermore, extreme difficulties are encountered if it is desired to have a disc cleaned once the disc is mounted on the turntable of the player apparatus.
A disc player apparatus is known which is provided with cleaning means capable of cleaning the disc mounted on the turntable of the player apparatus. Such cleaning means is, however, constructed in such a manner as to be held in contact with the disc being played back. The pressure thus throughout playback operation not only deteriorates the signal-to-noise characteristic of the playback operation but imposes an additional load on the motor for driving the turntable.
The present invention contemplates provision of a disc player apparatus which will overcome each of the above described drawbacks which have thus far been inherent or involved in prior-art disc player apparatuses.